Microsoft has implemented a server-side remedy for a persistent issue that disrupted the Windows Start Menu search functionality on select Windows 11 23H2 devices. This development was detailed in a Windows release health update (WI1273488) observed by BleepingComputer, indicating that the problem has impacted only a limited number of users since April 6. The root cause was identified as a server-side Bing update intended to enhance search performance.
While Microsoft characterizes these issues as recent, there have been numerous reports surfacing online for several months. Users have noted that the Start Menu occasionally presents blank search results, albeit with clickable options still available.
To rectify this situation, Microsoft has retracted the problematic Bing update and anticipates that the search issues will diminish as the fix is progressively deployed to affected users. The company stated, “An investigation determined that the problem coincided with a server-side Bing update designed to improve search performance. To mitigate the issue, the server-side Bing update was rolled back, and reports of search failures are steadily decreasing.”
Furthermore, Microsoft reassured users that “this issue will resolve automatically as the server-side fix is gradually rolled out to affected devices. To receive this fix, make sure the device is connected to the internet and that Web Search has not been disabled by Group Policy.”
More Windows Start Menu issues
This recent incident is not the first time Windows customers have encountered Start Menu-related challenges. Back in November, Microsoft provided a temporary workaround for another bug that caused the Start Menu, File Explorer, and other essential system components to crash when provisioning systems with cumulative updates released since July 2025. This issue arose due to XAML packages failing to register promptly after the update installation.
Users on affected systems have reported a variety of complications, including:
- Crashes of the Start Menu
- Critical error messages
- Missing taskbars, even when Explorer is operational
- Crashes of the core ShellHost (Shell Infrastructure Host or Windows Shell Experience Host) system process
- Settings app failing to launch silently
Microsoft is actively working on a permanent solution but has yet to provide a timeline for its availability. In the interim, affected customers are required to manually register the missing XAML packages.
In May, Microsoft also addressed an issue that disrupted Start Menu jump lists for all applications on Windows 10 22H2 systems, and in June 2023, it resolved a bug that rendered Windows Search and the Start Menu unresponsive.
